BREAKING FREE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC

Children with disabilities benefit from the motor, sensory, and emotional aspects of being on a horse. Children in our program participate in activities such as grooming the horse, petting and touching experiences, leading, and riding activities. While riding, horse therapy provides opportunities for engagement in following directions and for practicing cognitive concepts. To meet this goal, children are asked to follow a given direction, to listen and respond to requests, and to cue their horse to go or whoa. Academic goals may include naming and finding colors or shapes around the arena, identifying pictures or objects while riding, recognizing environmental print, and counting balls or beanbags when throwing them into a bucket. Horseback riding helps with coordination, strength and muscle tone, and helps the child to develop balance and motor control. Students participate in gross motor activities such as throwing balls or beanbags into a bucket or hoop, reaching for objects, and stretching. They are also asked to strengthen fine motor skills as they grasp smaller objects as they ride around the ring, and manipulate items such as clothes pins. Children with autism are especially helped by the sensory benefits provided by being on a horse. The touch of the horse's fur, the sounds and smells of the horse and the excitement of being on a horse allow students additional motivation to cooperate with therapy goals.

Each Lesson incorporates the educational, physical, social and recreational goals of each individual student. The 45-minute therapeutic riding lessons include mounting, warm-up time, an exercise, an activity or game, skill development, skill review, a closing activity and dismounting. Group lessons have 3-4 students per class. Lessons will include some unmounted time devoted to expanding horsemanship skills. Students may groom, saddle, or perform other appropriate activities that develop horsemanship skills. Continual participation in the program is suggested for maximum therapeutic benefits

Breaking Free earned a Premier Accredited Center Member certification in October 2013 through Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship Intl. We have been a PATH Center Member and followed their safety and program guidelines since 2009 when we began.

PATH is an international governing body that sets standards for equine therapy and equine facilitated learning for centers who provide services for the disabled. PATH Int. has been a leader in equine therapy since 1969.

Our instructors are PATH Registered Instructors who must complete training and testing to become registered. They also complete continuing education hours annually. PATH's training standards insure our instructors are highly trained and follow strict guidelines for the safety of our participants, volunteers and equine.

In May 2015 Breaking Free began a new "Horses for Heroes" program to serve Veterans in their area. Breaking Free's Horses for Heroes program is open to all eligible US Veterans who are interested in working with or around horses or in a farm and barn atmosphere. This program has been many years in the planning and we are excited to have it up and running.

Our wish is to offer therapeutic riding sessions year round. We have started raising funds so we can hopefully fulfill our dream of building an indoor arena in the near future.